which its approach would raise in their minds, together with the suddenness and unexpectedness of it, nearly resemble what shall happen at the destruction of the world and the general judgment, it was natural for our Lord on this occasion to put the disciples in mind of that judgment, and to exhort them to the faithful discharge of their duty, from the consideration of the unexpectedness of his coming to call every particular person to an account at death. This exhortation begins, Matt. xxiv. 44. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man cometh. 45. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? See the form and structure of this parable explained on Luke xii. 42. § 88. 46. Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing: You, the ministers of religion, ought to be particularly faithful in the discharge of your duty; for it is not an ordinary trust that is committed to your charge. You are stewards, whose business it is to take care of the whole family, and who, because of the influence which your example may have upon the rest, ought to be remarkably diligent, that you may provoke your fellows to be frugal, active and sober. Your duty is, to be well acquainted with the stores of the evangelical truths, and to understand how they may be best applied. You should know likewise the various characters of the persons under your charge, that you may be able to give every one of them his portion of meat in due season. And if, when I come, I find you thus employed, you are blessed; for I will highly reward you with the joys of my kingdom, even as an earthly master bestows particular marks of respect on such servants as have been remarkably faithful in any important trust. Matt. xxiv. 47. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. On the other hand, if you behave like wicked stewards, who, because their lord delays his coming, beat their fellow-servants, and get drunk with so's and epicures; if you tyrannize over the consciences of your brethren, neglect the duties of your function, and give yourselves up to sensual pleasures, I will come when you little think of it, and will make you dreadful examples of my indignation, by the severe punishments which I will inflict upon you. 48. But and if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming, 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. 50. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of; 51. And shall * cut him asunder, and (or) appoint him his portion with the Matt. 51. Cut him asunder.] This was one of the heaviest kinds of punishments anciently used, 1 Sam. xv. 33. 2 Sam. xii. 31. Dan. ii. 5. iii. 29. Apocryphal additions to Dan. xiii. 55,-59. A. Gellius, lib. xx. cap. 1. the hypocrites *: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. See on Luke xii. 46. § 88. It is remarkable, that in the parable the crime of the unfaithful steward is said to have been sensuali. ty, particularly drunkenness, than which a more abominable vice can hardly be named. A drunkard! one who employs himself in erasing the illustrious signature of reason, which God stamped upon him in creation, as the prerogative of his nature, and who makes himself incapable of his duty, while he is ready to commit every sin to which a temptation offers. What a monster is this! and how unlikely to lead others in the way of eternal life! In the passage first cited, we are told that Samuel hewed Agag to pieces. Wherefore, as this action proceeded from the greatness of the prophet's wrath, the same punishment inflicted on the slothful, sensual, merciless steward, fitly expresses the greatness of his lord's indignation. * Ib. And appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.] In ancient times the stewards of great families were slaves as well as the servants of a lower class, being raised to that trust on account of their fidelity, wisdom, sobriety, and other good qualities. If any steward, therefore, in the absence of his lord, behaved as is represented in the parable, it was a plain proof, that the virtues on account of which he was raised were counterfeit, and by consequence that he was an hypocrite. Slaves of this character, among other chastisements, were sometimes condemned to work in the mines. And as this was one of the most grievous punishments, when they first entered, nothing was heard among them but weeping and gnashing of teeth, on account of the intolerable fatigue to which they were subjected in these hideous caverns, without hope of release, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." But because the immediate effect of being cut asunder is death, and not a state of bitter lamentation, the Greek particle of connection may be understood in this verse disjunctively, "shall cut him asunder, or appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping," unless we can suppose, that in the latter clause our Lord speaks not according to the form, but the meaning of his parable. The truth is, as cutting asunder gives us a lively idea of the torment of an awakened conscience, the portion of hypocrites, is a proper emblem to represent the melancholy state of the damned, who are shut up for ever in the dreadful dungeon of hell, never more to see the delightful light of God's countenance, whereby the whole spiritual creation is enlivened, and made unspeakably happy. § CXXIV. Jesus delivers the parable of the ten virgins. He delivers likewise the parable of the talents the second time, see §109. and the parable of the sheep and the goats, representing the last judgment. Matt. xxv. 1,-46. OUR Lord having mentioned the rewards and punishments of a future state, in order to animate his disciples to the vigorous discharge of their duty, it was easy and elegant to pass from that subject to the consideration of the general judgment, at which these rewards shall be distributed in their utmost extent. And therefore, to rouse men in every age, he has given a striking representation presentation of the last judgment, with its consequences, in three excellent parables. The first is the parable of the ten virgins, who waited to meet the bridegroom. Matt. xxv. 1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom: At the general judgment, the character, conduct, and lot of the subjects of the kingdom of heaven, i. e. of the professors of the gospel, may be represented by the character, conduct, and fate of virgins at a wedding. In those countries, it seems, the bridegroom commonly brought home his bride in the evening. And that she might be received at his house in a suitable manner, his female friends of the younger sort were invited to come and wait with lamps, till some of his retinue, dispatched before the rest, brought word that he was at hand. On this, they went forth with their lamps trimmed, to welcome him, and conduct him with his bride into the house. And for this service they had the honour of being guests at the marriage-feast. 2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3. They that were foolish, took their lamps, and took ne oil with them: 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. In the parable, five of the virgins, who thus waited for the bridegroom, were so foolish as to take only a little oil in their lamps to serve the present occasion. But the other five being more wise, knew that the coming of the bridegroom was uncertain; for which reason, besides filling their lamps at first, they prudently took a quantity of oil in their vessels to supply their lamps, that they might be in readiness to go forth at a moment's warning. It happened however, that while the bridegroom tarried, all the virgins, being tired with long watching, were overcome with sleep. 5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. The wise virgins as well as the foolish slumbered. For even in the best, the faculties of the soul cannot always be upon the stretch. Besides, having tarried so long, they began to think he would not come that night; and in consequence of this imagination, they bowed under the weight of duty. At length, in the middle of the night, the call was given. 6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. The cry being loud, they all awaked, and set about trimming their lamps. But the oil in those that belonged to the foolish virgins being consumed, they were in the utmost confusion when they found them gone out; and having nothing in their vessels to trim them with, they began to see their mistake. In this extremity they intreated their companions to give them a little; but the latter excused themselves, having none to spare. 7. Then all of those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out, 9. But the wise answer ed, ed, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. The. foolish virgins therefore were obliged to go away, and buy for themselves. But while they were on this errand, behold the bridegroom arrived, and they that were ready went in with him to the feast, and the door was shut. By and by the others: also came, and knocking loud, cried to the bridegroom, beseeching him to order his servants to open the door, and give them admission. Matt. xxv. 10. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready, having gone forth at the call, with their lamps trimmed, went in with him to the mar-· riage-feast, and the door was shut. 11. Afterwards came also the other virgins, who had gone away to buy oil, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12. But he answered and said, Verily I say. unto you, I know you not. The bridegroom was heard answering from within: Ye pretended to be my friends, and to do me honour on this occasion; but ye have not acted as friends, for which reason I know you not; I do not acknowledge you as my friends, and will have nothing to do with you. 1 In this parable the characters and final judgment of the subjects of the kingdom of heaven are described, that is to say, of persons who have enjoyed the outward dispensation of the gospel, and by professing themselves to be Christians, pretended to honour Christ. Some with the fair light of an outward profession in their hands, have the principles of the divine life in their heart, a stock of oil to keep that light continually burning, both pure and clear; by which means they persevere in goodness to the end. But others having the blaze of a profession, and nothing to keep it alive, it must needs end in smoke and darkness, failing them when they have most occasion for it. The slumbering of the vir gins denotes that frame of mind, that distraction and dissipation of thought, which good men sometimes fall into by reason of their necessary worldly business. For although God must never be forgotten, the state of human affairs is such, that it is hardly possible to be so intent on our spiritual journey, that no cares shall ever retard or entangle us. Hence it comes to pass, that even those who are most vigilant do sometimes slumber, or, to all outward appearance, are off their guard, like the wicked; but with this difference still, that though the exercise of grace, at least so far as it consists in the sensible emotions of holy affections, may for a time be interrupted, these holy affections really subsist in their hearts, ready to be called forth into act. Whereas the wicked are wholly destitute of them, not in act only, but in principle also. The two states of mind are excellently represented by the lamps burning dimly for want of trimming, and by its going out for want of oil. The midnight cry, raised at the coming of the bridegroom, while the virgins were asleep, shews how how suddenly and unexpectedly some are called away by death, so that little or no preparation can be made for the approaching judgment, in the confusion and perplexity of a death-bed sickness. In this parable therefore our Lord has taught us, that unless we persevere in grace, having it always at least in habit, and ready to be brought into exercise as occasion requires, we shall be excluded from the abodes of the blessed without remedy, though we may have expressed considerable alacrity and diligence for a while. Also that the grace of other men, and their good works, shall stand us in no stead at the day of judgment. To conclude, as the parable represents the suddenness of Christ's coming to call every particular person off the stage, it shews us both the folly and danger of delaying religion to a death-bed, and powerfully inforces habitual watchfulness, both in the acquisition and exercise of grace, upon all men in every age, from the consideration of the uncertainty of life. Accordingly, the application of the parable is, Matt. xxv. 13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh, The second parable (see on Luke xix. 12. § 109.) is thus introduced: Matt. xxv. 14. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, (edies duas, his own slaves) and delivered unto them his goods. The words, kingdom of heaven, are improperly supplied in this verse, for the sentence should run thus: For he is as a man travelling into a far country, namely, the Son of man mentioned in the preceding verse. 15. And unto one he gave five talents, (TEYTE tuλarta) to another tavo, and to another one, to every man according to his several abilities; that is, according to the prudence, capacity, and activity, which he knew him to be possessed of; and straightway took his journey. These sums of money being delivered to the slaves, on purpose that they might employ them in the several branches of trade, to which they had been educated, such of them as were honest and industrious, set about business immediately after their lord's departure. 16. Then he that had received the five talents, went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17. And likewise he that had received tro, he also gained other two. One of the slaves, however, being lazy and idle, would not put himself to the fatigue of business. At the same time, to avoid chastisement, he took care to preserve his lord's money safe, that he might have it to give him at his return. 18. But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, for the greater security, and hid his lord's money. He neither lost no embezzled his lord's money, but kept it useless in a hoard. 19. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them. 20. And so ie that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold I have VOL. II. 3 K gained |